Papal pundits anxiously await Pope's arrival in Holy Land

• Never one to mince words, Damien Thompson believes that "at the age of 82, Pope Benedict XVI is about to be forced through a diplomatic minefield that would scare the wits out of a politician half his age".

  While the Israeli Ministry of Tourism is billing the visit as a "Bridge to Peace", Thompson contends that:

  both Jewish and Muslim ideologues are determined to stop the Pope crossing that bridge: either by smearing him as an anti-Semite or by making his visit to a Palestinian refugee camp look like a politically motivated reproach to Israel.

  Read the whole thing.

• Pope Mideast Visit Preparations See Both Strife And Excitement Stuart Whatley @ The Huffington Post has a handy roundup on preparations for the papal visit and resulting friction between political factions, noting that "preparations for the Pope's May 8 - 15 Mideast visit have adopted varying tones, from laudatory educational campaigns to politically sardonic venue choices, all depending on who is rolling out the red carpet."